Page 36 of Hiding in Alaska (Home to Owl Creek 4)

Connor frowned. “A visitor? No, you’ve got it wrong. I don’t think any of her family or friends have come to see her. She’s been talking a lot about being homesick.”

Gabe scoffed. “Well, someone did. A man chartered a flight a few weeks ago. Lawson Charters had to communicate with his plane to make sure we weren’t in the same airspace. The plane landed at my hangar.”

His throat felt dry. Owl Creek was only accessible via plane and water. Coming to town wasn’t an easy process. Surely Gabe wouldn’t have gotten it wrong. Suddenly, Connor’s stomach was tied up in knots. This felt off. Why hadn’t Ella mentioned having a visitor, especially since she’d confided in him about yearning for her loved ones?

Rosie returned with their orders, but all of a sudden he wasn’t hungry. He knew that he wouldn’t even be able to swallow. Connor couldn’t shake off the feeling that once again Ella was hiding something.

“How do you know he was here to see Ella?” he asked Gabe.

Gabe locked gazes with him. “You know how small towns are. Nothing’s invisible. One of my mechanics spotted him coming and going from Ella’s house. And he said this wasn’t his first visit.”

Town gossips! He clenched his jaw as heat spread through his chest. Didn’t people in Owl Creek have anything better to do than flap their jaws? Resentment flooded him. He didn’t even know why he was getting so wound up over it, but he felt aggravated.

“I wish pe

ople would mind their business.” Connor angrily spit out the words.

“What are you getting so upset about?” Hank asked. His face was creased with a frown.

“I’m not upset,” Connor said, denying the raw emotions he was battling.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Gabe muttered. “Next time I’m going to mind my business.”

“You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves, Gabe,” he snapped.

“If that’s the case, I’m just going to ask... What’s bugging you?” Gabe asked. “From what you’ve said, you and Ella are just friends.”

“We are, but I can’t pretend I don’t wish something deeper has been brewing between us,” Connor said.

“Don’t be that guy, okay? Just because she had a man visit her, you can’t assume it was romantic,” Gabe said. “Don’t let a misunderstanding get in the way of something terrific.”

Although he was experiencing a little spurt of jealousy, that wasn’t the main issue. The bigger question was why hadn’t Ella told him a friend was flying into Owl Creek. Why were there so many things about her past she seemed to be hiding? Just who was Ella Perez? Gabe’s mention of the mysterious visitor to Owl Creek was the final straw. He’d allowed his feelings for Ella to cloud his judgment. He had suspected something was off with her since the very beginning.

“It’s not just that,” he said, letting out a deep sigh. “There’s a dozen reasons why I couldn’t allow myself to get involved with Ella. I would’ve had to push past every single doubt I had and allowed my heart to rule my head. And trust me, there have been times when I wanted to do just that.”

“We thought you’d put those issues to rest,” Hank said. “I guess we assumed since the two of you were spending a lot of time together that you trusted her. Even in a friendship that’s important.”

“To be honest, the doubts never went away. Maybe I was just fooling myself, thinking it wasn’t necessary to have full disclosure in a friendship. I can’t explain how overwhelming it is. It feels like a tidal wave is crashing over me.” He ran a shaky hand over his face.

“Talk to her,” Gabe said. “Tell her how you feel. Straighten things out before it festers, Connor.”

“I second that,” Hank added. “If you want to squash these reservations, put it all out there. Don’t leave anything unsaid. If she’s as special as you believe, she’ll have answers for you.”

Connor nodded. “Thanks. That’s exactly what I intend to do. And there’s no time like the present.” He gritted his teeth. “I need answers. And I need them now.”

Chapter Thirteen

Despite Gabe’s and Hank’s attempts to settle his nerves, Connor hadn’t been able to calm down. He hadn’t been able to eat his breakfast and he’d bolted from the diner as soon as the tab was paid. He didn’t even bother calling Ella before showing up at her house. They’d talked last night, and she’d told him she was going to be running some errands, but Connor was just going to take a chance she’d be there. When he pulled up, he spotted her truck outside the house, serving as confirmation that she was inside.

Finding out about her mysterious guest had caused something inside of him to crack wide-open. For the entire time Ella had been in Owl Creek, Connor had questioned her truthfulness. Now it felt like she’d smacked him straight in the face with her evasions.

Was he blowing things out of proportion? He didn’t want to barge into her house spewing accusations. His fervent hope was that she would have a simple answer to his question that would quell all of his uncertainties.

Lord, please give me clarity. I’m so confused right now, and I don’t want to let anger cloud my objective. I need answers from Ella. I want the truth. Please grant me the strength to deal with whatever she might tell me.

When he knocked on the door, Ella answered it with a look of surprise mixed with joy etched on her face. “Connor! I wasn’t expecting you. Come on in,” she said. Ella was treating him like a treasured guest, and it gutted him.

This wasn’t a friendly visit. He’d come here seeking answers, and he wasn’t going to allow her to deflect or steer him away from his purpose.

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